Andal Ampatuan Jr.
{{short description|Filipino former politician convicted for the Maguindanao massacre}}
{{Use Philippine English|date=April 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Philippine name|Uy|Ampatuan}}{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Andal Ampatuan Jr.
| office = Mayor of Datu Unsay
| termend = June 30, 2010
| termstart = June 30, 2007
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|8|15}}{{cite web|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/229934/tacurong-car-bomb-a-birthday-gift-for-gov-toto-mangudadatu/story/|title=Tacurong car bomb a birthday 'gift' for Gov. Toto Mangudadatu?|first1= MARK |last1=MERUEÑAS|publisher=GMA News|date= August 19, 2011|access-date=January 13, 2020}}
| birth_place = Cotabato City, Philippines
| nationality = Filipino
| occupation = Politician
| party = Independent (2009–present)
Lakas–Kampi–CMD (1993–2009)
| spouse = Bai Reshal Santiago (d. 2018)
Shahira
| children = 6
| parents = Andal Ampatuan Sr. (father)
| relations = Zaldy Ampatuan (brother)
| nickname = Datu Unsay
| module = Criminal information{{Infobox criminal
|child = yes
|charge =
| conviction = 58 counts of murder
21 counts of violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act
| conviction_penalty = Reclusion perpetua (40 years imprisonment) and ₱155.6 million in damages
210 years in imprisonment and ₱44.183 million in civil liability
| conviction_status = Convicted; currently incarcerated at New Bilibid Prison
}}
}}
Andal Uy Ampatuan Jr. (born August 15, 1976) is a Filipino convicted mass murderer and former politician. He is one of the main perpetrators of the Maguindanao massacre along with his father, brothers, and nephews. At the time of the massacre, he was the outgoing mayor of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao, and was planning to run for provincial governor, the position his father, Andal Sr., was set to vacate. Esmael Mangudadatu, from a rival political clan, declared his candidacy for the 2010 gubernatorial elections, thus challenging Ampatuan for the post. The Ampatuans carried out the massacre to kill Mangudadatu.[http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091123-237943/Ampatuans-Mangudadatus-were-allies-for-decades Ampatuans, Mangudadatus were allies for decades] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126034831/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091123-237943/Ampatuans-Mangudadatus-were-allies-for-decades |date=November 26, 2009 }}. Philippine Daily Inquirer. November 23, 2009.
On December 19, 2019, Andal Ampatuan Jr., alongside his brother Zaldy and other co-accused, were convicted of 57 counts of murder and sentenced to reclusión perpetua.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/12/19/maguindanao-ampatuan-massacre-verdict.html|title=Maguindanao massacre: Andal Jr., Zaldy Ampatuan convicted; brother walks free|date=December 19, 2019|publisher=CNN Philippines|access-date=January 13, 2020|first1=Eimor|last1=Santos|first2=Lara|last2=Tan|first3=Melissa|last3=Lopez|archive-date=December 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220080515/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/12/19/maguindanao-ampatuan-massacre-verdict.html|url-status=dead}}
Role in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre
{{main|Maguindanao massacre}}
Ampatuan came to international attention in November 2009 as a result of the Maguindanao massacre. He was planning to run for governor of the province against Esmael Mangudadatu in the 2010 elections. However, Mangudadatu's female relatives and a group of journalists were ambushed and killed in the massacre, and Ampatuan quickly became the prime suspect.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/world/asia/26phils.html|title=Suspect in Philippine Election Killings Surrenders |last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|author2=Norimitsu Onishi|date=November 25, 2009|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=November 26, 2009}} A member of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, he and his father and brother were expelled by party chairman Gilberto Teodoro due to the massacre.{{cite news|url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091125-238331/3-Ampatuans-expelled-from-admin-party |title=3 Ampatuans expelled from admin party |last=Ubac|first=Michael Lim|date=November 25, 2009|publisher=INQUIRER.net|access-date=November 27, 2009}} He surrendered to Filipino authorities and was charged with murder.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/nov/26/philippines-massacre-politician-charged|title=Philippines massacre: police charge local politician with murder|last=Tran|first=Mark|date=November 26, 2009|work=BBC News|access-date=November 26, 2009}} He denied any involvement,{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/177868/andal-ampatuan-jr-denies-hand-in-maguindanao-massacre|title=Andal Ampatuan Jr. denies hand in Maguindanao massacre|last=Sisante|first=Johanna|date=November 26, 2009|publisher=GMA News and Public Affairs|access-date=November 26, 2009}} though several witnesses have gone on record stating that they saw him at the scene of the crime.[http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/27/09/more-witnesses-link-ampatuan-jr-massacre More witnesses link Ampatuan Jr. to massacre]. ABS-CBN News. November 27, 2009. In September 2010 he went on trial as the prime suspect in the massacre. Ampatuan, through his emissaries, was already under fire for bribing the relatives of the massacre.{{cite web|url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100714-281070/Ampatuans-trying-to-bribe-witnesses--DoJ |title=Ampatuans trying to bribe witnesses – DoJ|date=July 14, 2010|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717225116/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100714-281070/Ampatuans-trying-to-bribe-witnesses--DoJ |archive-date=July 17, 2010|access-date=January 13, 2020|first1=Norman |last1=Bordadora|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer}}
Graft case
In 2018, the Office of the Ombudsman filed graft charges over a ₱238.3-million fuel supply deal during the term of late provincial governor Andal Sr.
On November 23, 2023 (coinciding with the 14th anniversary of the massacre), the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division convicted Andal Jr. of 21 counts of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, sentenced him to between 127 years, 9 months to 210 years in prison in total, and ordered him to pay ₱44.183 million in civil liability to the Maguindanao provincial government. He is perpetually disqualified from holding public office. The verdict was related to the undelivered fuel supply to the provincial government from a Petron station in Shariff Aguak, where he was the owner.
Three co-accused were also convicted—two of falsification of public documents, another in connection with the provincial government's purchase of lumber, though the latter was reported already dead. The cases for three other individuals, one of them also accused over the purchase of lumber and reported dead,{{cite news |last=Navallo |first=Mike |date=November 23, 2023 |title=On 14th anniv of Maguindanao massacre, Andal Ampatuan gets up to 210 yrs for graft |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/23/23/on-maguindanao-massacre-anniv-andal-ampatuan-gets-up-to-210-yrs-for-graft |work=ABS-CBN News |access-date=November 24, 2023}} were temporarily archived as they remain at-large.{{cite news |last=Marcelo |first=Elizabeth |date=November 24, 2023 |title=Andal Ampatuan Jr. gets 210 years for graft |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/11/24/2313803/andal-ampatuan-jr-gets-210-years-graft |newspaper=The Philippine Star |access-date=November 24, 2023}}
Court records show that in 2008, Andal Jr., along with his father Andal Sr. and several government officials, reportedly conspired to award the contract for the purchase of diesel fuel to the petroleum station without any bidding; and in releasing public funds despite failure of the station to completely deliver fuel products that were supposed to be used in road rehabilitation projects, which were certified finished by the provincial government but were later found by the Commission on Audit otherwise.
Personal life
Andal Jr. is the eighth of the eleven children of Andal Ampatuan Sr. with his first wife Bai Laila Uy-Ampatuan. Zaldy is his full brother. He has more than thirty other siblings through his father's five other wives.{{cite news |last1=Arguillas |first1=Carolyn O. |title=Shamefully rich clan has 35 houses, fleet of wheels |url=https://pcij.org/article/3238/stupendously-rich-ampatuans-in-dirt-poor-maguindanao |access-date=May 31, 2021 |publisher=Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism |date=December 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123054937/https://pcij.org/article/3238/stupendously-rich-ampatuans-in-dirt-poor-maguindanao |archive-date=November 23, 2020}}
Andal Jr.'s first wife, Reshal Santiago Ampatuan, served as mayor of Datu Unsay until her death due to cardiac arrest in 2018; she was 38.{{cite news |last1=Fernandez |first1=Edwin O. |title=Wife of Maguindanao massacre suspect dies during prayer |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/980662/wife-of-maguindanao-massacre-suspect-dies-during-prayer |access-date=May 30, 2021 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=April 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804175844/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/980662/wife-of-maguindanao-massacre-suspect-dies-during-prayer |archive-date=August 4, 2020}} The couple had six children.{{cite news |last1=Cabrera |first1=Ferdinandh B. |title=Another Ampatuan is now mayor in Maguindanao |url=https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2019/07/another-ampatuan-is-now-mayor-in-maguindanao/ |access-date=May 30, 2021 |work=MindaNews |publisher=Mindanao Institute of Journalism |date=July 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126232241/https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2019/07/another-ampatuan-is-now-mayor-in-maguindanao/ |archive-date=November 26, 2020 |location=Cotabato City}}
Their son, Andal V (nicknamed "Datu Aguak", the second of the six siblings), garnered the highest number of votes in the 2019 Datu Unsay municipal council elections. In July that year, the town's mayor and vice mayor resigned, citing "lack of capability to govern". In accordance with the Local Government Code, Andal V became the town's new mayor. The new vice mayor is also a relative of theirs: Janine Ampatuan Mamalapat.{{cite news |last1=Balasbas |first1=Rhommel |title=Anak ng pangunahing suspek sa Maguindanao massacre nanumpa bilang alkalde ng Datu Unsay |url=https://radyo.inquirer.net/194128/anak-ng-pangunahing-suspek-sa-maguindanao-massacre-nanumpa-bilang-alkalde-ng-datu-unsay |access-date=May 31, 2021 |work=Radyo Inquirer |date=July 25, 2019 |language=tl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210530233951/https://radyo.inquirer.net/194128/anak-ng-pangunahing-suspek-sa-maguindanao-massacre-nanumpa-bilang-alkalde-ng-datu-unsay |archive-date=May 30, 2021}}
Ampatuan has a second wife named Shahira.
Ampatuan declared his 2008 net worth as ₱39.3 million, making him the richest in his family. He had 16 properties in Davao City with a total market value of ₱11.22 million.
References
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Category:Filipino mass murderers
Category:Filipino politicians convicted of corruption
Category:Filipino politicians convicted of murder
Category:Filipino prisoners and detainees
Category:Independent politicians in the Philippines
Category:Lakas–CMD politicians
Category:Mayors of places in Maguindanao